Clothes-line holder.



J. T. REED.

GLOTHES LINE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1912.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

(I77; Ree/a.

ANOGRAPH COHWASHINGTON, 0. cv

JOHN REED, 013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CLOTHES-LINE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1912.

Patented Aug. 5,1913. Serial No. 715,449.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. REED, citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Line Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in line holders and more particularly to devices adapted for attachment to a suitable support for holding clothes lines, and the object of my invention is to provide a device for detachably securing clothes lines in place without the necessity of knotting the line.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide a device of the character described which will hold the line without cutting or fraying the same and in which the line may be tightened at will.

With these and other objects in View, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved line holder; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same, showing the line in position; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the line holder.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

The preferred embodiment of my invention includes a body member provided adjacent one end with a slot 11 adapted to receive a line, conventionally shown at 12, and a locking member 13 for securing the line in the slot. The body member 10 is preferably formed of metal substantially rectangular in shape and having one end provided with a longitudinally extending line receiving slot beginning at a point adjacent the end of the plate or body member and extending rearwardly and having its rear end extended laterally through the side of the plate as shown at 14. This slot is preferably equal to or somewhat greater in width than the thickness or diameter of the line or cord to be held and in use the line is seated in the outer end of the slot, as shown.

The unslott-ed end of the body member 1 is provided with a longitudinally extending slit forming cars 15 and 16 which are oppo- .mounted in the forward portion of this opening upon the pivot pin 20. This locking member is preferably formed of resilient metal provided intermediate its length with laterally directed ears 21 which are bent at right angles to the body and perforated to receive the pivot pin 20. That end of this locking member 13 which extends below member 10 is bent at right angles to the intermediate portion of the locking member to engage against the line- 12 and said end is provided with a V-shaped notch 22 in which the line seats.

The opposite end of the locking member 13 is bent rearwardly at right angles to the intermediate portion of said member and is weighted as shown at 23.

In operation, the line to be held is passed through the open end 14 of the slot and seated in the forward end of the portion 11 of the slot. The line is then drawn taut and the forwardly extended portion of the looking member 13 is swung upwardly to force its notched terminal into engagement with the line as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the weighted end of said locking member assisting in this operation. Because of the resiliency of the locking member and because of the gripping action which its notch aflords upon the line, the latter is firmly held against movement through the slot 11 and the greater the strain exerted upon the line the stronger this locking action will be. lVhen the line is to be released, the locking member may be swung out of active position either by drawing downwardly on the end of said member or by raising the weighted end 23.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the device may be employed in various positions as well as in the position shown in the drawing, and that it will be equally as effective for holding halyards and other lines and ropes as for holding clothes lines.

The opening 19 in the body member not only provides a convenient means for pivotally mounting the locking member 13, but

also lightens the device. The chief strain upon the line being caused by the engagement of the line against the outer end of the slot 11. all chafing or cutting of the line is avoided, particularly if the upper edge of the slot be somewhat rounded as shown in Fig. 2.

It will of course be understood that I do not wish in. any way to limit myself to the specific details of construction set forth in the specification and drawing or to any specific materials as the body of the device may be formed of wood or other material as well as metal, as also may the locking member.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A line holder including a body member provided at its forward end with an L- shaped slot, one end of which opens through the side of the body member and the other end of which terminates adjacent the end of the body member, oppositely directed ears formed upon the other end of the body member and perforated to receive screws, and a resilient locking member pivoted intermediate its length through said body member extending longitudinally below the slot and adapted at one end for engagement with the line.

A line holderincluding a body member provided at one end with ears, at its other end with a longitudinally extending slot and intermediate its length with an opening, and

a resilient locking member pivoted in the forward end of said opening and having a forwardly directed notched terminal, the end of which extends substantially in aline ment with the forward end of the slot, the opposite end of said locking member being weighted.

3. A line holder including a body member provided at one end with an L-shaped slot, one end of which opens through the side of the body member and the other end of which terminates adjacent one end of the body member, said body member being provided intermediate its length with an opening, and a resilient locking member extending through said opening and pivoted therein, one end portion of the locking member being bent at right angles to its pivoted portion to lie above the body member, said end being weighted, the opposite end of said locking member being oppositely bent at right angles to the pivoted portion to extend below the body member with its free end in alinement with the forward end of the slot, said free end being provided with a cable engaging notch.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. REED. p. 5.

lVitnesses JOSEPH MULLiGAN, JAMES PARIZEK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

